Chaeles f



(No Model.)

0. F. WATKINS. BICYCLE.

No. 448,701. Patented Max:224, 1891 WITNESSES I N VEIY T 01? UNITEDSTATES PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES F. IVATKINS, OF BUFFALO, NIillV YORK.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,701, datedMareh'24, 1891.

Application filed September 22, 1890- Serial No. 365,861. (No model.)

To aZZ whom may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. WATKINS, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bicycles; and the following is a description of the invention such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make anduse the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, and toletters of reference marked thereon, which forms a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates more particularly to the steering-fork of theSafety bicycle and its application to the guiding-wheel.

My object is to simplify construction and aid in relieving the jarringsensation to the rider when the wheel moves over obstacles, and at thesame time have a firm device for turning the guiding-wheel.

In the drawing a repetition of the same letter indicates the same pieceof mechanism, and any special portion of the same piece is noted bynumbering its letter.

The figure shows a portion of the bicycle at its left side with myimprovements.

The lower portion of the left prong of the steering-fork is shown at A AA and at G is the axle of the guiding-wheel of the bicycle, to which thepiece B B l3 l3 13 is fastened at B by means of screw-thread and nut, orotherwise suitably fastened to the axle firm enough for guiding thewheel. It is not necessary to show the other prong of the steering-fork,as the two sides are alike.

The heel A of the prong A is pivoted to work on the frame piece B at B.The toe end of the prong A extends near the axle G and is acted upon bythe spiral spring C. The

upper end of the spring is clasped on a suitable projection on A. Thelower end of the spring is attached around the end of the adjusting-pinF at F, setting against the flange F B is a projection on theframe-piece adapted to stop the end of the prongA within the desiredlimit of action.

E is a piece of rubber set in a socket of the prong A to touch the stopsilently. The spring 0 should press the too A against the stop B with aforce desirable for holding the steering-fork in a backward position,andyet sufficiently yielding to allow the upper part of the fork to havea forward movement, either at the will of the rider or as the wheel israised by moving over some obstruction sud denly. The degree of thesprings pressure may be changed by unscrewing the set-nut II andscrewing the adj listing-pin F fart-her inward.

The spiral spring (J may be about three inches'in length, and theframe-piece B suitably proportioned,as indicated in the drawing.

When the steering-fork is operated and being pushed a little forward bythe rider of the bicycle, the toe of the prong A is pressed downwardmore or less on the spring. The pivot or bolt D is acted upon by theprongA as a bearing or fulcrum joint, and this joint should be a littlelower than the axle G, and should be placed back of the end of the prongA, and the spring 0 should be located between the axle and this joint,all substantially as shown, to secure the most favorable conditions foreasy action and relief from jarring motion.

IVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a bicycle having each of the two prongs of the steering-forkpinioned for its bearing on a frame at B and the two-arm frame-pieceattached to the axle G at B", the combination therewith of the spring 0when connected at one of its ends rigidly to the arm of the frame at Ethe projection at A rigidly holding the other end of the spring 0 to theprongs end between the bearing at D on A and axle G, the stop B and therubber E, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a Safety bicycle, the combination of I the two-arm frame-piece B BB B B con structed as described, the improved adjusting-screw F F F whenthreaded into the lower end of the frame-piece B and rigidly fastened byset--nut II and connecting the lower end of the spring 0 rigidly to theframe B and the projection on the prong at A when rigidly holding theupper end of said spring with other parts of the steering device, whenall are constructed and arranged adapting the end of the prong at A towork free of frictional contact with any partorframe-piece between theaxle G and the bearing of the prong at A 011 the pinion D, allsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. As an improvement on myimprovelnent prong A to be firmly held tooperate free of [0 in bicycles patented December 17, 1889, No. anyfrictional contact With the frame orother 417,055, the combination, Withother parts, of part between axle G and the bearing of the steeringdevice, the two-arm frame-piece]; l3 prong at pinion D, allsubstantially as and B B B", the improved adjusting-screw 1* F for thepurpose set forth.

F ,threadedin the frame E the set-nut II, the CHARLES F. \VATKINS.projection on the prong A, the rubber E, and Witnesses: the stop B whenall are constructed and ar- CI-IARLEs R. EDWARDS,

ranged adapting the spring land end of the CHARLES K. ROBINSON.

